Nile University hosted The African Department of the International Monetary Fund, Dr Joseph Nnanna (Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria), Dr Patience Oniha (Director General, Debt Management Office), and other dignitaries in a conference on “Fiscal Adjustment and Economic Diversification.” During the event, Mr Amine Mati, IMF’s Senior Resident Representative and Mission Chief for Nigeria, delivered an address on the organization’s regional economic outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa with respect to the conference’s topic. In his lecture he touched on the region’s modest economic growth recovery, as well as the policies necessary to strengthen this recovery namely; addressing debt vulnerabilities, focusing on revenue mobilization, and fostering economic diversification.

Expanding on Mr Mati’s address was Dr Joseph Okwu Nnanna who gave a lecture highlighting Nigeria’s recent economic struggles and the role of the Central Bank’s monetary policy in improving the situation. In his address, he stressed external reserves management, exchange rate management, and development finance to support economic diversification, as the key policy instruments employed by the Central Bank to combat the country’s economic problems.

The event ended with a question and answer session during which the panelists fielded questions from the audience.